Be Careful What You Wish For
by bellahatesyou
Summary: Which course of action will be more effective, making a wish at 11:11 or while blowing out a candle? Sakura can't decide, hence she combines both. SasuSakuIta. One-shot. Slight Time Travel AU. RnR?


**Summary** : Which course of action will be more effective, making a wish at 11:11 or while blowing out a candle? Sakura can't decide, hence she combines both.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Having a birthday is awkward. Especially when they sing you a 'Happy Birthday' song, what are you supposed to do other than clap your hands and smile awkwardly throughout the song? It makes sense now that you only have a birthday only once a year. Because it's awkwardly entertaining. But what does Sakura particularly like about being a birthday girl? Everyone behaves considerately toward her on that very day, except for Uchiha Sasuke.

Well, he's just being Sasuke. While everybody else is congratulating Sakura on her birthday, he just sits still on his place (ironically, he has to sit next to her for the whole year. Sasuke might not express it verbally but Sakura gets a feeling he doesn't enjoy it much).

Sometimes, Sakura wonders when Sasuke will ever care about her. Does he even give a hoot about anyone or anything in particular? Oh, if she were on her deathbed here and now, would Sasuke pay her a visit? No, Sakura. Do not expect anything. High expectations often lead to disappointment, remember? And dying is too much.

It's 11 in the evening. Her parents assumed that she's already sleeping soundly in her room but seeing that she's still wide awake, climbing down the stairs and tiptoeing to the kitchen, she purposely waits before this very day comes to an end.

Carefully not to make a noise, she opens the refrigerator. Her thin lips curve into a smile as she discovers her Otou-san hasn't eaten the last piece of her birthday cake yet. She places the cake on the dining table, contentedly lighting up the candle she's reserved. Her head glances up at the clock; it's still 10 past 11. A minute to go!

They say if you blow out a candle after making a wish, your wish will more likely to come true. And if you make a wish when it's 11 past 11, the chances your wish will be granted are also high. If Sakura combines both beliefs, the probability of her wish coming true will be doubled, will it not?

A minute ticked by, Sakura shuts her eyes as she speaks in an undertone, "I wish I could understand Sasuke-kun better!"

What a naïve ambiguous wish. Well, if she were to wish for Sasuke to understand her, it would be much _more_ impossible to become reality, wouldn't it?

By the time Sakura slightly opens her eyes, nothing happens so far. Except for her Okaa-san to catch her staying up at the kitchen.

* * *

Sasuke wakes up to realize he's not in his room. _Where is he?_ Since when his room is painted this pink?

"How much longer do you wish to sleep, Sakura?" Roared a mysterious woman.

 _Sakura?_ Impulsively, Sasuke jumps off of the bed and stands in front of the mirror near the desk. _Shoot. Why am I Haruno Sakura?_

"Sakura!" Called the woman at the top of her lungs, "Don't make me drag you out of your bed! Get ready to school. Now."

Suddenly, he misses his gentle 'Kaa-san.

The first thing he does when he arrives at the academy is to locate his real body. The chances are Haruno Sakura; one of the classmates he finds irritating is taking over his body. What makes him so sure? Because he is undertaking her body now. It still feels like a dream up to now. To be awake in someone else's body. Deep down, he still hopes it was really a dream. A nightmare perhaps. Having said that, he has tried pinching his cheeks twice this morning, but he is still stuck in Sakura's body, leaving him with no option but to go through with it.

Sasuke gazes around the classroom, searching for his original body. After a while of searching, it turns out that the 'real' Sasuke is surrounded by a group of girls he always finds loudly irritating (that's why it took quite some time to spot his whereabouts), they are chatting gleefully, sharing a laugh in chorus, doing things he wouldn't bother doing if he _were_ him—responding to them.

Hastily, Sasuke approaches his real body, "I need to talk to you. Come outside."

"Why would Sasuke-kun talk in private with a girl like you?" Mocked one of the girls.

The real body stares in disbelief, "I also have something to say to you!"

"That forehead girl!" Sasuke ignores the last mockery and leads the way to sneak away from the classroom.

Just when the two are outside the classroom, Sasuke makes sure that nobody is passing by along the corridor before raising his delicate voice, "I won't be accusing. Who are you? Why did I end up being stuck in this body?"

"Sa-sasuke-kun, I can explain! But don't shower me with anger, okay?" Stuttering, the possessor of Sasuke's body swallows his saliva before continuing, "I am Sakura. Haruno Sakura. Do you know that I always have special feelings for you? I – I just want you to notice me, Sasuke-kun. So last night, at 11:11, I made a wish so that I could understand you better and blew out a candle. The next morning, I already woke up in your room. In your body."

Sakura's wrong. She thinks Sasuke doesn't notice it. She didn't even have to go that far by revealing her full name, it's not like he's ignorant—just because he doesn't speak much, doesn't mean he's clueless about his surroundings. If truth be told, Sasuke was actually taken by surprise when Sakura confessed her feelings to him. He knew she, and the other girls in his class are attached to him, but he didn't expect her to say it first to his face. For that reason, he isn't going to yell at her any minute now.

"What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll take responsibility for it—"

Sasuke sighs, "There's nothing we can do about it for now. Let's just wait until tomorrow and see if we're back to our respective bodies."

"You… You're okay with it?" Asked Sakura reluctantly.

"Of course not!" Stressed Sasuke, "Don't do anything stupid with my body. Don't—don't interact with those girls no matter what!"

Sasuke slams the door, leaving Sakura outside. She's certain she saw Sasuke blushing before running away.

* * *

"Welcome home, Sasuke." Greeted a teenage boy Sakura assumes as Sasuke's older brother. As far as she remembers, he wasn't present this morning.

"Where are both Okaa-san and Otou-san?" Sakura adds, reluctantly, " _Onii-san?"_

"They have a meeting outside the village and will be back tomorrow," Sasuke's older brother explained, "I don't have any missions for today so I agreed to look after you. Do you want to train with me, Sasuke?"

Honestly, Sakura doesn't have a grasp of dealing with an older sibling. Especially when she is standing in Sasuke's shoes. She never watches the Uchiha brothers communicate before. _Do they get along well? Do they fight like there's no tomorrow? What are they like really?_ Judging by how Sasuke usually treats his classmates, Sasuke would probably act toward his older brother the same, wouldn't he? But his brother, Itachi, has contrasting nature with Sasuke. Unlike his brother, Itachi who is not far older seems to be a considerate person. Apparently, it is impossible to treat a person as good-natured as Itachi unfavorably.

"I'd rather to but I have homework to do," Sakura thought of the most gentle way to turn the offer down. Besides, she's kind of exhausted and doesn't feel like going out anymore. "If you need to train you can go, Onii-san. I can stay at home on my own."

"Ah, I… see," Itachi can't hide his puzzled expression, "No, I'm okay by staying home with you in case you are in need of anything."

"If you say so." _Is my response appropriate?_ Whispered Sakura to her inner self and she can feel that her inner self gives her two thumbs up. Seriously, she is not certain whether the decision she made is the decision that satisfies Sasuke or not. Sasuke is a genius since born—a genius like him won't have to put more effort, right? On top of that, it appears that he has mastered today's lesson about chakra control without much difficulty.

Sakura seats herself on the tatami mat, placing her homework on the coffee table in front of her. Without being asked, Itachi follows suit, taking a seat next to her. "What did you learn from the academy today?"

"Many things, actually," answered Sakura casually, "We learned how to control our chakra by walking on the surface of still water, and some basic math I guess."

"How _basic_ the mathematics Iruka-sensei taught? Let me see." Itachi slides Sakura's book (to tell you the truth, it is still Sasuke's—they don't swap books) so that he can run his eye over it himself.

Sakura waits for a while to give Itachi time to finish skimming before complaining, "But we have to do a lot of pieces of work. I prefer to do a few challenging exercises than do numerous of the uncomplicated ones."

"I am glad you began to appreciate mathematics, Sasuke," acknowledged Itachi, "You used to ask me why would anyone have a passion for that certain subject."

 _But Sasuke-kun does well at math, too! It turns out he doesn't enjoy it? What a plot twist!_

"Um, so I paid attention to Iruka-sensei today," Sakura lied, "Basically, I gave it a chance and it turns out that math is not as bad as I thought."

"You did not pay attention in class before?"

"Of course I did—I still do!" Sakura stutters, "Today is just—special."

Itachi gives a suspicious smile, "Maybe you can top the subject starting now."

To be honest, math is Sakura's favorite subject. Therefore, it is the only subject she got an A. She never cares about her rival—she surpassed everyone in her class unintentionally, and she doesn't care either if anybody is willing to outperform her. Because of her oversight, Sasuke came after her in math.

"I'll do my best!" When she is about to do her homework, she glimpses to the side dubiously. "I don't feel right asking this but why are you still here, Onii-san?"

"To help you with your homework, of course," answered Itachi, "Are you sure you don't have anything to ask?"

"So far so good," admitted Sakura, "Actually, I don't feel a bit confident when someone is watching me do my homework."

"Is that so?"

Sakura nods assertively.

"Very well," Itachi stands up, "I'll be in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Is there anything you wish to eat?"

… _anmitsu._ Her tongue almost slipped. "I'm good with anything you cook, Onii-san."

"Just tell me when you need anything." Offered Itachi before leaving for the kitchen.

Secretly, Sakura stares at Itachi's back in awe. _How lucky of you, Sasuke-kun._ He has such a loving family. _Maybe that's why he is cold to almost everyone._ The love his nuclear family gives is enough to fill his heart.

* * *

Sasuke isn't sure how but he wakes up normal the next morning.

Poor Sakura. He only became a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Haruno for a day but he really pities her now. It seems that both of her parents still don't fully support her to become a shinobi—her mother would find fault with her every time they cross path. But it is still understandable that every mother only wants the best for their children. His 'Kaa-san always demands her sons to be well-organized, to say the least, therefore Sasuke is already accustomed to put his belongings back to its place. And Sakura's mother was amazed by how her daughter has taken a turn for the better.

As long as Sasuke doesn't get on her nerves, he believes he still can stand Sakura's mother. Be that as it may, he is not certain that he can tolerate Kizashi's dad jokes anymore. Rather than finding it amusing, he considers it somewhat cringe worthy.

Recalling his experience yesterday causes him to suddenly miss his family.

Yet, is it really an experience? Not a mere dream? Sasuke can't decide which to believe.

At the academy, every time they are left with no option but to pass each other by in the corridor, they avoid eye contact at all costs, pretending to look the other way. _Was yesterday merely a dream?_ Sasuke once again questioned himself. Why did it take a long time to last? And why it still feels real up to this time? The questions remain unanswered.

School ends shorter when he is in his own body. Sasuke intends to go training right after today's lesson has ended, but he forgets to bring along the new kunai he wishes to try, consequently he has no choice but to waste more time in returning home first.

His steps took him to before the refrigerator. It is not like he's in need of food but he discovers a pinned note left by Itachi.

 _Left early because of a mission. Don't be late to school, Sasuke!_

 _Okaa-san will be back by the afternoon._

 _Take care,_

 _Itachi_

He doesn't remember his Okaa-san informing him about her departure. And yes, he was home alone before he went to school this morning since Itachi said he had a mission to execute. Was he all alone too yesterday?

Sasuke enters his room, searching for any clues that can feed off his curiosity. Suspiciously, he finds a journal entry in a unused notebook of his that he has no knowledge of. Since when he developed such a girly pastime like writing in a journal? He comes to a decision to look through it anyway.

 _Dear Sasuke-kun,_

 _I'm writing this to report on how I spent my day today. In case we go back to our original respective bodies, I'm not sure what will happen to us after that. I truly know my place and we never have a close relationship to begin with. Will we forget that we swapped bodies for a day or more? Will I get the chance to tell you everything I went through while I was borrowing your body? Thus, I'm taking this opportunity._

 _Maybe you don't like me reacting much to those girls. But believe me, I was one of them yesterday and all I wanted is exchange more than three words with you. Having a conversation with you makes us get to know you better. That being so, we don't have to guess what's on your mind. After all, communication is fundamental, Sasuke-kun. Apart from bringing you closer to everyone in our class, I also want you to be more likeable than you already are (to us, the girls, the boys are just envious of you)._

 _Okay, enough with the lecture and let's move on to my daily report, shall we? If you wonder what happened at your home, here it is: I was taken by surprise when your brother was the only one greeting me. He said that your parents had a meeting outside the village, by that reason he stayed at home with me. Oh, he's a very considerate brother and a dependable one, to boot. He seems good with math, his cooking tastes awesome, too. I wish I had a brother like him._

 _I didn't know you have a brother until yesterday, let alone how you usually deal with him. But the Sasuke I know is kind of aloof—still I'm not sure. A brother as gentle as yours made it impossible to have quarrels with. It's a common thing for siblings to fight once in a while, isn't it?_

 _Regards,_

 _Haruno Sakura_

Sasuke's eyelids flutter— _what did she say?_ Nii-san was home yesterday? The details take up more than three paragraphs (heck, even Sasuke ignores Sakura's lecture this time) but the only information matters is regarding his brother whom he's been longing for. Itachi always turned down his request of training him, made an empty promise while poking his forehead. Therefrom, Sasuke is dying to know whether Itachi actually kept Sakura company the entire day or not. She better not refuse Itachi's offer to train her and hurt Itachi's feelings with her words!

At first, he had tearing the journal entry from his notebook and crumpling it up in mind, but he brushes the thought off that very minute. The journal entry is somehow the only proof that it is not a mere dream.

Sasuke thought he wouldn't experience it again. Sakura thought the same, too. However, the next day proves them wrong. They unluckily wake up swapping bodies _again_. At last, they reached a conclusion that they will exchange bodies by turns; it usually takes 2 days, so they better be prepared by the next time it occurs once more.

Sakura is an only child. Firstly, Sasuke hasn't gotten used to not having a brother around. But now, he's actually enjoying it. Sakura's parents seem to never play favorites, let alone comparing their children. Because she is lucky enough to be brought into this world as an only child, not as the next in line of a reputable clan, to boot. She doesn't carry an amount of weight on her shoulders since born, and she never has to live up to her parents' ridiculous expectations. True, Sakura parents never completely encourage their daughter to make a name for herself as a shinobi. But that's plainly because a live as a shinobi is no walk in the park—you will be exposed to danger at all times, and it is highly possible for you not making it out alive. If only Sakura could understand her parents better, her parents only wish her to live a long peaceful life. They would rather see their daughter to complete an errand as a noncombatant than see her make it big but has to sacrifice everything in the end. That's—what you call being _realistic._

 _Realistic,_ he said? Kizashi can be considered a realistic man expect when he's telling his dad jokes.

Sasuke is never really fond of milk and most dairy products, but the rest of Sakura's family is. One day, they ran out of milk at home, and Kizashi making a federal case out of it declared that they wouldn't last for long because of it. Long story short, Kizashi's wife, Mebuki also made Sasuke accompany Kizashi to the grocery store, worried of her husband getting lost when he himself is a grown-up already.

They say marriage is a sacred vow. Why would his parents marry each other? The same question also goes for Sakura's parents. He emphasizes, _why_ in the world if you're going to view Kizashi as your other child—older child perhaps? Kizashi is the one working his fingers to the bone only to meet his family needs. But why Mebuki became the one managing the funds? She only gave an adequate amount of money to his husband to buy a cartoon of milk. While on their way, Kizashi's eyes kept practically ogling everywhere—he appeared to be wanting to buy everything he saw but then he realized he didn't have enough money to pay for all of them. Now Sasuke agrees with Sakura's mother not to give her husband more amounts than needed.

The cashier at the grocery store asked while calculating, "Do you want to put this milk in a plastic bag, dear customer?"

Kizashi looked up and shook his head, "Oh, no, not in the bag. Just leave it in the cartoon, please."

Sasuke has never been ashamed in his whole life than of this incident involving Sakura's father.

 _My father would never._

 _-Sasuke_

Sakura laughs her heart out after reading Sasuke's daily report on turning into Haruno Sakura on the usual journal. Actually, she doesn't mind if Sasuke writes his piece on any of her notebooks in her room. But he insisted on giving up his diary turned a collection of letters.

"What makes you laugh so heartily, Sasuke?" Asked Itachi who looks as though he just came back from a long tiring mission.

"Welcome back, Onii-san," greeted Sakura, "You're back early, it's unusual."

Casually, he walks to the veranda, bringing a cup of hot tea along. "Yeah, it's been quite some time since I've been home anyway. How were Otou-san and Okaa-san doing?"

"Otou-san scolded me yesterday for not being able to maintain my good grades. He said it was all because I've been fooling around too much and should follow the example of you starting now." Complained Sakura. It's true that Sasuke's grades suddenly dropped because when she changes into him, it is unfortunate that she cannot preserve Sasuke's motor learning and other skills he has developed. Sakura feels seriously sorry for Sasuke that her lack of strength has brought deep disappointment in Fugaku, Sasuke's father.

Itachi's onyx eyes widen in surprise. His brother has changed his tune. He remembers Sasuke always striving for exceling him in receiving their father's acknowledgement, but the Sasuke now doesn't seem to care about it anymore. If it's not an acknowledgement anymore, then what is it now? What's the first thing his brother desires at the moment? Itachi has failed to follow Sasuke's train of thought.

"Grades don't guarantee you will be successful in life. There's no need for you to overthink what Otou-san demands, Sasuke." Comforted Itachi in the end.

"Grades really matter, Onii-san," stressed Sakura, "Look at how doing well you are. You graduated the academy after a year you entered. Activated your sharingan at 8. Becoming a chūnin at 10. A year later, you enlisted in Konohagakure's ANBU. By the time you are 13, you're already a captain squad. Look at those achievements, Onii-san. Your perfect grades are merely the reflection of what lies ahead."

Unknowingly, Itachi's lips curved upward. "I heard that a lot. But… do you hate me?"

" _What?_ No way! Why would I?" Objected Sakura genuinely, "You are this family's pride and joy, Onii-san—scratch that, you are this village's treasure! No wonder Otou-san favors you so much."

Itachi chuckles, "You're exaggerating it!" Itachi adds, "Since when you became this dramatic?"

 _Since I made a foolish wish to understand your brother better and ended up swapping bodies with him every 2 days._ In the beginning, Sakura might do Sasuke as he said by conducting himself based on how Sasuke would respond to the situation. But _screw that_ , screamed inner Sakura. Regardless of whose body she borrows today, she is _herself._

"This is my true self you never knew before, Onii-san," declared Sakura. "Maybe you shouldn't go on a mission too often."

"I thought I knew you better than anyone else. Seemingly, I am mistaken," Itachi admitted, "However, I did notice there is a slight change in you. I checked with my own sharingan in case someone dared to transform into my brother. But my eyes wouldn't fool me. Your chakra signature indicated it was obviously you. Perhaps you've really changed, I am not certain what the necessity is. Despite everything, I will still care for either the old you or the new you the same."

"But it is really me!" Sakura exclaimed, without realizing warmth has grown in her cheeks, leaving a blush.

* * *

"Do you think my brother is acting strange lately?"

This time, both Sasuke and Sakura take over their respective bodies. After exchanging bodies for a while now, no progress has been made in their relationship still. They mainly communicate with one another through the journal turned letters collection at the time they swap bodies. But when they return to their original bodies, they will pretend nothing has ever happened to begin with and carry on with their lives. Unless it is urgent matter to discuss, one of them will usually ask the other to meet in a quiet place. It's Sasuke's turn this time to bother Sakura first.

"Is he?" Sakura returned the question. In fact, she barely knows a thing or two about the older Uchiha even before she met him.

"Has Nii-san caught me not being myself when you are playing my role?" Interrogated Sasuke.

"Actually, he has noticed," Sakura tells the truth, "I'm sorry for being myself when I'm supposed to act as you, Sasuke-kun. But it doesn't matter to Itachi-san—he will still accept either behavior unconditionally—"

"How dare you do that to me, Sakura?" Sasuke raises his voice, "Your grades improved drastically since this accident came about, since I turned into you. Your parents even stopped nagging, in fact, they began to praise _you_ for the achievements I reached. You'll finally get their approval one of these days, I'm sure of it. But how do you pay my kindness in return? You ruined my grades, even my reputation—how many times do I have to tell you to stop have any dealings with those girls? What are you planning to do after this? Telling the world that we've been exchanging bodies and identities for a while now?"

"Why do you only take a single mistake I made to heart, Sasuke-kun? Are you aware that everyone has been thinking well of you, involving you in every class activity, and stopped being reluctant to speak with you? You're clearly not, am I right? That's because the favor I did to you would never be enough to compensate that one mistake I made."

"Favor? It's not considered a favor if it's not beneficial for me."

Sakura's throat feels like burning, her vision becoming blurred. "When will you realize that definition favor of yours is not the most important in life? I would've never thought you are this self-centered, Sasuke-kun. Can't you see everybody will fight for becoming you a day? It is truly a privilege and honor for me to stand in your shoes, really. That's why you should be grateful for every little thing you have and what has made you—"

"Sakura," Sasuke cuts off, "I'll find a way to get us back permanently."

The pink-haired girl holds her breath for a split second, "Do you want me to help?"

"No," Sasuke turns his body around, "Do not get in my way. Don't annoy me more than this."

He never looks back.

Having said that, the problem they're facing still hasn't been solved. They exchange bodies as yet, every 2 days, as per usual. The only thing that has changed is Sasuke no longer replying to Sakura's daily record while she still makes a report diligently. As if she's talking to herself now, all alone.

The only thing both Sakura and Sasuke have in common is they're such obedient children. Both parents don't have to repeat their orders and the children will surely do as they say. Seeing that Sakura keeps her muscle memory with her, even in Sasuke's body, she feels bad about lowering Sasuke's grades and decides to refine her shuriken throwing ability at the training ground after she's been dismissed from the academy.

She trained herself hard enough to the point of hurting her ankle. The skies become dark—she doesn't wish to worry Mikoto-san who's expecting her son's homecoming, hence she heads back home.

For all that, she suddenly has a bad random feeling that refrains her from coming home. Above her head, the round moon looks somehow glaring at her, filling her soul with fear. The cold wind is unusually blowing into her ear a little bit louder and deeper, whispering an alert she pays no heed to. She doesn't feel safe here, nor her environment guarantees that the Uchiha residence will be her safe haven.

By the time she turns up at the entrance of the Uchiha compound, a mass of dead bodies lying on the cold ground welcome her home. Fresh blood gushes out from each corpse, blending into a crimson pool. The scenery caught Sakura by surprise; she gazes around with fear, in hopes of not confronting the murderer who caused all of this right away. Her toes shaking in her boots, her limbs back away without being asked. Escaping from the crime scene, she cries for help.

* * *

This morning, Sasuke's absent from class.

Sakura eavesdrops a conversation one of her classmates held, "Did you hear what happened to the Uchiha clan? They were slaughtered entirely last night. But I heard Sasuke is the only one left. Poor him."

Like a streak of lightning in a heavy rain, panic comes on the scene to strike her. _A mass murder of that infamous Uchiha clan occurred last night, they mean, it involved Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san, too? What about Itachi-san? Is he still alive?_

"Ironically, Sasuke's brother is the one who executed it."

 _It can't be—a kindhearted person as Itachi would never have the heart to commit such a crime!_

The moment Sakura comes to realize, she stares blankly in disbelief. _I was supposed to be annihilated that night, too. And I am supposed to be gone as of now._

The thought of Sasuke mourning alone in his house preys on Sakura's mind, she simply cannot leave it be and before she knows it, the same cowardly legs that slipped away from death once again controls over her brain and brings her to the Uchiha compound where the tragic incident took place. If truth be told, she isn't conscious of the situation up to now—it feels surreal like the first time she woke up in Sasuke's body, but she's got a feeling that Sasuke is unmistakably there, needing a companion more than anything.

Last night, she was a coward for not being able to come face to face with Itachi. Even so, staying with Sasuke who is in grief won't change the fact that she is still a coward. For all she knows, she is just concerned about Sasuke's condition, that's all.

"Why are you here? Feeling guilty for not being killed last night, huh?" Snapped Sasuke when he saw Sakura.

"I – I'm sorry for your loss, Sasuke-kun but I swear to Kami that everything happened last night is out of my control. But I don't think your brother is the prime mover behind all this. Sure, he was the one performing it all, the truth can't be denied. But I really think he was given a command to carry it out by force. Didn't you say he was behaving strangely lately? What if he's only been secreting something? Because he couldn't speak about that confidential matter to anyone, he had no choice but to—"

"You just met Itachi not long ago, Sakura while I spent my whole life watching his back from a distance. Don't speak like you know my brother better than me. You only said that to make me feel better, didn't you? Never I asked you to comfort me. If I were to ask anything from you, I want my family back. The first thing I want is to turn back the time. If I were the one taking over my body at that time Itachi wiped out our clan, I would have faced him and asked him the reason why he had done it."

Sasuke's words stab right into Sakura's heart. Without knowing, warm tears already stream down her cheeks. "Something's clearly wrong about you, Sasuke-kun," Panted Sakura, grasping for air. "If I had exchanged bodies with you sooner, I wouldn't have let any of this get out of hand. Has anyone ever told you how self-centered you are, Sasuke-kun? If not, I am honored to be the first to call you that. Because of your ego, you only think about yourself. You only see Itachi-san as a rival to get your father's acknowledgement. You admired him, but you envied him at the same time. Could you not accept that your brother was supposed to become heir to the Uchiha clan, if any of this didn't occur? That's why your father paid more attention to him, Sasuke-kun. But have you ever thought about how heavy the burden Itachi had to carry on his shoulders? That thought has never crossed your mind, has it? That's because you're plainly selfish."

Sasuke glares, "An only child like you will never understand how it feels to constantly be compared to your sibling. You're lucky that you were born from a nameless clan, your parents never set high expectations on you—you're not even trying to meet theirs. You are incapable of achieving anything big because you're so helpless. But if you were to be left alone like me, what would you do?"

Sakura's at a loss for words, unable to counter. Pausing for too long, Sasuke takes this chance to haul his feet from Sakura's sight and disappears at the end of the line.

* * *

Even though Sasuke has abandoned her at the Uchiha Compound, she doesn't have the intention to leave the place and even eventually comes to a decision to bide her time there until this unbelievable day passes by. By the time the sun rises the next morning, she will assuredly wake up in Sasuke's bodies, taking turns. Where is Sasuke now? She wondered. Does he have a roof over his head to stay the night? _Why do you still care? He put the blame on you while you did nothing wrong._ Inner Sakura is still in her right mind under the circumstances, unlike the real Sakura.

Itachi once got into a fight with Fugaku for not attending the clan meeting held in Naka Shrine. Whenever Sakura wanted to come along, Itachi would find his way to distract her and make her stay home with Mikoto instead. But now that Itachi won't have another chance to convince her not to come to the shrine, Sakura is brave enough to stop by the shrine at night, as though they would be another clan meeting being held there from now.

As expected, inside the shrine is completely quiet. The only noise she hears is her quickened heart rate caused by overstepping the bounds. Ventilation system cannot be located there, causing Sakura to wonder since the meeting wouldn't be attended by a few clan members, wouldn't it be too airless to breathe at this rate? Yet thanks to the lack of window there, the torch in the front has not been extinguished.

Sakura moves closer to the torch, closing her eyes tight once she gets there. She whispers to the wind, "Take me back to the start. I wish Sasuke-kun could understand his Onii-san better from then." With that, she blows out the torch.

If the candle isn't enough to fulfill her wish, will a torch be?

The room goes black after she put out the fire. Since it's still too early to jump into a conclusion that her absurd wish comes to nothing, she decides to wait until the next morning.

Sasuke's been crying in his sleep, causing Itachi to lose sleep in return. He moves aside slightly to where his brother is lying down and shakes his arm anxiously. "Sasuke, wake up, Sasuke."

Once Sasuke opens his eyes, he pulls Itachi into a sudden hug. Drowning his face into his brother's chest, he sheds tears quietly.

Back and forth, Itachi rubs over his little brother's back, consoling. "What's the matter? Were you having a nightmare?"

Sasuke's certain it is not a dream if the memories linger, repeating itself in his mind without being asked as if they are warning him. Moreover, could it be a vision of what lies ahead? He is unsure.

"Yeah," Sasuke nods, "A horrifying nightmare."

At the end of the day, he decides not to tell a single soul and keeps it to his grave.

* * *

author's note: yo! first time writing a sasusaku here, and this time would be a one-shot. i never completed writing a story in my entire life, so this fic broke my record. i thank all the readers for making their time for reading this one-shot. but do you feel the ending is not satisfying enough? i concluded it the way it is on purpose, cuz i still haven't decided which proper ending i should go for. for that reason, i pulled off an open ending (tho you might hate me for this), readers are free to believe whether sasuke would prevent the massacre from ensuing or completely shrug the notice off. let me know what you think about this story, if you're not satisfied with the ending (honestly, me too) let's see if i can make a sequel of this fic. be sure to leave a review, peeps! constructive feedback won't hurt my feelings so don't worry!


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